The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (12)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on January 13, 2010
Topic: Blessed Are... (7)
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Background
From our last meeting two weeks ago, we saw that the pure in heart is blessed indeed, because he has allowed himself to be made receptive to the spirit of God for a habitation. God cannot and will not indwell a man who is not pure in heart; that is, he does not have clean thoughts, the mind of Christ, emotions under the control of the Holy Spirit, and a godly nature. Such an individual cannot display the glory of God; the result of God living in him. He also cannot see God, and will not be able to replicate here on earth, the will of God (which can only be received by one whose heart is pure)!
Therefore, for us to maintain heart purity so that we can always know and do God�s will, and see it revealed in us, we must have a transformed nature by reason of the nature of God coupled with the operation of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Sin must be avoided like a plague (it cuts off our link with God) and must be dealt with, as soon as it is made known to us, through the blood of Jesus. We noted that when sin is not promptly dealt with, it makes the man in whom it is operating to become hardened and unyielding to the nudging of the Holy Spirit. Such a person will be religious, attending church without the manifestation of the power of God to do good works; and he will be pre-occupied with this world and life. And if nothing is done, such an individual ends up condemned to eternal damnation. But thanks to God for His intervention through circumcision of the heart, which involves the ploughing of the stony heart, and the cutting off of the sinful nature, and thus enable us to love and obey God, and do His will.
We concluded by noting that if we are to continue to see God and the things He is doing and thus replicate them here on earth, we must maintain a pure heart at all times through constant in-filling of the Holy Spirit, yielding daily to His dealings in our lives through the word of God, and we must pray always.
Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 5:9
We now go on to another attribute which those who are blessed by the reason of the presence of God in them must possess: peace. May the Holy Spirit bring us to the place where the peace of God is manifested in our lives and spread to others as well.
Peace is a state of being of tranquillity and calm. When spoken of a person, it is the absence of conflict, confusion, or chaos in the individual�s heart and life. It is the picture of an immovable rock, though the waves of the sea beat upon it. It is, however, not something that just happens because we wish for it. It is imputed in us when we believe the sufficiency of our Lord Jesus Christ�s sacrifice for our salvation.
Ephesians 2:11-19; Romans 5:1; Isaiah 26:3; 59:1-8; 57:20-21; 2 Peter 2:19-21; Romans 10:15; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Jeremiah 29:11; Hebrews 12:14; Psalm 34:14; Romans 12:18; 14:13-21; James 3:18-4:4; John 1:10-13; Romans 8:14.
Conclusion
The true son of God is not just the one who has been given the right to be so-called, but also one who has peace with God and who in turn is working for that peace in the lives of others. This is the individual who is called a peacemaker.
Such a person is blessed by reason of God being present in him because of the absence of the conflict caused by sin in a man�s life, as well as the absence of confusion and chaos associated with sinful living: the result of the new birth.
Once an individual arrives at the point where all the conflict, confusion, and chaos arising because of sin have been dealt with, that individual is necessarily required to transmit the knowledge of this peace to others through the preaching of the gospel; through prayers for their peace; and through the pursuit of peace in his interaction with others. This is the individual who demonstrates that he is not just the son of God by the new birth only, but also by the way he is living his life in a very personal relationship with God. An evident son of God will attract others to God! (Mark 5:15-20; John 4:27-30, 39-42).
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